Interior Sec. Kempthorne's bathroom has "storied history"

Storied Washroom: Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport, festooned for the RNC, originally uploaded by Lindsay Beyerstein.

A spokesman for outgoing Interior Secretary Dick Kempthorne told the Washington Post that the department spent $236,000 on renovations of Kempthorne's office bathroom to preserve the "storied history" of the office:

Shane Wolfe, a spokesman for Kempthorne's office, said the new 100-square-foot bathroom will replace an older washroom being removed to make way for an emergency stairwell. Aside from asbestos abatement and electrical and plumbing upgrades, the bathroom was constructed, in part, to preserve the office's "storied history," Wolfe said. At Interior, he said, "Preserving historic structures is part of what we do."

The spokesman added that a refrigerator was added so that the Secretary could serve chilled Diet Cokes to visitors.

Maybe Kempthorne spent over a quarter of a million dollars on bathroom renovations as a form of self-defense. If you're going to entertain energy industry lobbyists, it's wise to give them a nice place to piss and hope for the best. Otherwise, you end up with drippy file cabinets and a photocopier that won't collate anymore.

Comments

[revenantive]

I'd be more impressed if Kempthorne blew through $236k worth of coke on the bathroom stall, than actually having the whole thing updated at taxpayer expense.

With that kind of budget and all the industry lobbyists in need of coddling, why offer only Diet Coke? Strippers and blow seems far more appropriate.

[cfrost]

Was fellow Idahoan Larry Craig invited over to check out the new crapper?

[knowdoubt]

Really, Diet Coke is just crap.

[togolosh]

If there was asbestos abatement folded into the cost it makes the number much more reasonable. Asbestos abatement is damn expensive if done right.